In order to get something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.

Prioritizing new projects in your business… especially if they are BIG projects… can be difficult, especially if you’re already feeling like you are too busy.

And yet, that project (if it’s the RIGHT project) can potentially have a huge impact in your business.

So how do you create more time?

First, we’ve got to remind ourselves that we can’t actually “Create” time. We each have 24 hours… 1440 minutes… 86,400 seconds, every day.

No more, no less.

So it’s not about creating time, as much as it is about PRIORITIZING how you invest your time.

INVEST TIME, DON’T SPEND IT

There are two ways to use your time:

You can SPEND it on things that don’t have a measurable impact or return…

OR, you can INVEST it on things that WILL have a return on your investment, in terms of more time (later), more income, etc.

WHAT I’VE NOTICED FOR MYSELF

When I’m procrastinating or deprioritizing an important project, it’s usually because I’m focused on the EFFORT, rather than the OUTCOME.

I’m paying More Attention to what is going to be difficult, hard, challenging, frustrating, time consuming, etc…

…instead of Paying Attention to what having the project complete will Give Me.

The BIGGEST payoff of getting a project complete is that it’s OUT OF MIND. You no longer have to think about it!

But every project has other payoffs, as well.

Maybe it’s:

Creating traffic to your site (with a facebook ad campaign)

Generating new leads (from a lead magnet)

Nurturing new leads (via an email follow up sequence)

Educating and positioning your offer (with an automated webinar)

Enrolling new clients (from a persuasive sales page)

So, it’s important to connect to the OUTCOME of your project.

TEMPORARY VS PERMANENT TIME ALLOCATION

Another important factor, for me, is realizing that this new Time Allocation is TEMPORARY.

If I am having to give up or deprioritize something ELSE in order to make room for this project, I’m likely resisting having to do that.

I may not WANT to get up early… or work later into the day.

Or I may not WANT to stop some other activity I’m currently doing, in favor of this new project.

But, when I remind myself that this is a TEMPORARY situation, combined with the OUTCOME of the project, I can usually get myself to reallocate my schedule and make the project a priority.

CONDUCT A TIME AUDIT

Once you’ve connected to the OUTCOME of whatever new project you want to work on, and realized that it is FINITE in nature, and therefore a TEMPORARY Time Allocation, you’ll need to figure out what other activity you’re going to (temporarily) deprioritize to make room in your schedule.

The easiest way to do this is by conducting a Time Audit.

Essentially, you keep a log, over the course of a week or two, and note how you’re spending your time.

What time do you wake up?

What time do you stop working?

What time do you go to bed?

During your work day, where are you spending your time?

How much time are you spending on non-essential activities (like browsing Facebook, etc)?

Once you know where your time is currently being used, you can choose which of those activities you’ll temporarily deprioritize in favor of this new project.

TWO WAYS TO “GET IT DONE”

Depending on the project you’re working on, you can schedule your time in one of two ways.

SPRINT – carve out large blocks of time to focus on your new project (half day, full day, weekend, etc). This will allow you to complete the project more quickly, but the downside is a bigger impact on your current schedule.

MARATHON – set aside smaller blocks of time (1 hour per day, for example). This will have a smaller impact on your current schedule, but it will naturally take longer to complete your project.

Get cracking on that new project. Make it a priority, and watch your business change, for the better!